The journey

“And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer”

– Plutarch.

The journey or the goal? This is the question that has bothered the greatest minds throughout human history. The lust for the goal that drives us but it is the journey that we fall in love with. This paradox is at the very heart of human nature, inseprable, like the two sides of a coin. What makes this paradox difficult, is the inevitability of sadness. If one succeeds in achieving the goal one lusts for there is, like Alexander, the sadness of losing the path. If one fails, it is the sadness of failure.

Philosophers through the ages have likened sadness to a true lover, never leaving her lovers side. So if the sadness is inevitable, why is it we keep on setting out on our journey to meet our goals. Perhaps, the answer to this question is Life. The goal gives us the purpose and the purpose drives life. Purpose is the food of life. Even the most primitive of world’s creatures have a purpose, to survive.

Being evolved creatures, humans strive for a higher sense of purpose. For some it may be monetary, for some sexual, for others emotional and for a few, selfless. Whatever the goal, it is the journey we love. Goal is an illusion for they are endless. We achieve one and we set for the next; for we lust for the journey, the goal is just an excuse.